And so the Search Began
by OhHeyWassup
Summary: Draco didn't realize that the feelings he was having for Ofelia were more than just infatuation, and never suspected that he would have to go to such drastic lengths to be with her.   Starts from the 6th book. Some Spoilers.
1. I

Draco Malfoy stood from his seat in the train car, Pansy's incessant chattering propelling him to leave the area. She looked up, sticking out her bottom lip and widening her eyes.

"Where are you off to, Drakie?" She squeaked.

He glared at her out of the corner of his eye, and then glared at Crabbe and Goyle, who were seated across from them. The two disgusted him beyond belief, constantly wallowing in a pool of stupidity. "To the bathroom," Draco hissed. "No need for you to accompany me." Pansy slumped back in her seat as she watched him go.

_'I need new friends.'_ Malfoy thought, sighing as he tramped down the isles, looking for an empty booth. It was only the beginning of his sixth year at Hogwarts and he already dreaded having to spend that time dealing with Pansy. After wandering throughout the entire train, Malfoy finally found a box that looked empty and eagerly made his way to the sliding door.

* * *

><p>Ofelia's forest green eyes shot up from her book as the door to her box slid open. Standing in it, looking perplexed and disappointed, was a tall, slender boy who looked to be about sixteen. He brushed his platinum locks from his sharp grey eyes in frustration, trying to be sure that the booth was, in fact, inhabited at the moment. He sighed, clearly unhappy.<p>

"Would you like to sit here." Ofelia said, not really asking, only trying to convey her displeasure with the unnecessary interruption. The boy looked over his shoulder, noting the tone of her voice, and turned back, asking politely, "May I sit with you?"

She shrugged and went back to reading her book.

The boy slowly sat down across from her, and discreetly scoped her out. She was rather short and pale, and very scrawny. Her large jade eyes swept across the pages of her book as she held her coffee colored bangs out of their way. Then he noticed the rest of her hair, and how it was very unlike anybody else's from school.

"That's quite the interesting hair cut you've got there." He mused.

Ignoring the obvious teasing, Ofelia answered, "It's called a Chelsea Hawk. You know, the female version of a Mohawk."

The boy nodded, beginning to actually appreciate it, and noticed that the actual Mohawk was bleached, while the rest of her hair was the same dark brown as her bangs and the side burns that framed her face. The hair actually suited her, and he admitted to himself she looked a little badass.

The boy stuck out his hand, "I'm Draco Malfoy. And you are?"

Ofelia looked up, glancing at his hand, and then meeting his eyes. "I'm a transfer."

Draco smirked, setting his hand back in his lap. "How interesting. You're the first transfer I've heard of. Where are you transferring from?"

"Beauxbatons."

Malfoy raised his eyebrow, slightly confused. "You don't sound French. You actually sound-"

"American." Ofelia cut off. "I grew up in New York… My family is rather… restless." She looked back down at her book. "We move around a lot."

Draco watcher her for a moment, noticing her eyes no longer scanned the pages of her book. "What year are you?"

"Sixth."

"Do you know what house you're in yet?" He questioned.

"No," she mumbled. "I spoke with the headmaster. He said I would be sorted with the first years." She grimaced and shrugged, not pleased with the idea of being surrounded by a bunch of sniveling little eleven year-olds.

"Which house do you think you'll get?" The Slytherin asked, surprised when he found himself hoping it was his house. His face flushed a bit when Ofelia looked up, scrutinizing him.

"Dunno," she said, her eyes still on him. "Doesn't really matter though. It's not like it changes who I am."

Draco nodded.

"You ask a lot of questions." She stated, still staring him down.

He stared back. "You're an interesting person." He said.

Ofelia scowled suspiciously.

"Besides. I am in need of new friends." He stood, smirking, and bowed slightly, still staring her down. Not because he wanted to prove he was better than her, like when he stared down Potter, but because of how captivating her eyes were. Their dark green shade and abnormally large size held some kind of power over him. "Well, I'd better be off." He said, gaining control over himself. "It was nice meeting you… uh…"

"Ofelia. Ofelia Adelle."

Draco's smirk spread into more of a grin. "Nice to meet you, Ofelia." He turned to leave, and said over his shoulder as he walked away, "You're welcome at the Slytherin table anytime. Even if you're placed with those rotten Gryffindor."

She smiled, somewhat flattered, and impressed with the boy's unwavering eye contact. She wouldn't mind being friends with him.

_**(Note: Ofelia is pronounced OH-FAIL-ee-uh.)**_


	2. II

Ofelia stood in the mass of eleven year olds. What bothered her most was that, despite being sixteen, they were all at least her height. Luckily her name was one of the first to be called, "A" being first in the alphabet.

"Ofelia Adelle?" A professor who introduced herself as McGonagall called over the buzzing crowd.

Ofelia pushed, shoved, and sometimes resorted to punching her way through the cattle of first years. She sat with a huff on the stool that was provided and waited for McGonagall to place the hat on her head. Ofelia caught Draco's eye, spotting him at the Slytherin table, and gave him a small smirk. He did the same, laughing as McGonagall tried to arrange the hat around her Mohawk. Without even pausing the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Her smirk faltered slightly- as did Draco's- and she stood, disappointed, as she made her way to the Gryffindor table, recoiling from the pats people were trying to give her on the head, as if she was _actually_ eleven.

Suddenly someone pulled her into a seat next to them, and her mint green eyes shot around the table suspiciously. "Welcome to you first year at Hogwarts!" A girl exclaimed, tucking a bit of her bushy brown hair behind her ear. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. Are you excited to begin learning magic?" Hermione's entire face was lit up with a smile.

Ofelia frowned and said, "I'm actually a Sixth year. I'm a transfer."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "Well, It's nice to meet you! May I ask your name?"

"Ofelia."

Hermione's smile widened, and Ofelia sighed, seeing it was going to be a laborious dinner.

* * *

><p>Once the meal was near its end, Ofelia decided she actually liked Hermione and the others, although Ron was a bit of a slob. Still, she still wished she could have been sitting with Draco. She glanced over at him numerous times throughout lunch, trying to get his attention, but he just sat, staring at his plate and looking miserable as a girl flailed all over him, and two hulking boys stared at him dim-wittedly.<p>

"Do you know Draco?" She asked the three Gryffindor.

Ron gave her a weird look, Harry scowled, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we know that git." Harry said.

"Git?" Ofelia mumbled, scowling back at Harry. "Why'd you call him that?"

Harry huffed, refusing to answer.

"Well…" Hermione started. "He hasn't exactly been pleasant to us."

Ofelia looked over at Draco once again. "But…" She said slowly. Thinking about their encounter. He was charming, and he did seem a bit snobby, but when she thought about it, his attitude was what made her want to be his friend. He seemed like the type that didn't let people boss him around. Plus, he was the first to approach her. Numerous people opened the door to her car on that train ride, and as soon as they saw her, they all left without a single word.

"But, what?" Ron scoffed.  
>"<em>But<em>," Ofelia growled. "He's my friend. Actually, he was the first person to make friends with me here."

The group of three looked shocked.

"Oh…" Hermione said. "Well, that's nice."

The other two looked at Hermione, out raged.

"Look," Ofelia said standing up. "I like you guys. You're cool, and really nice, but I'm going to go chill with Draco for a bit. See ya." She turned and walked away, ignoring the shouts from Ron and Harry that she wasn't allowed to sit at the Slytherin table. The dining hall quieted as she marched over, shoved the girl who was drooling all over Draco out of the way, and sat down next to him.

Malfoy grinned at her. She just shrugged and pored herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

After waiting for the chatter of the dining hall to pick up, Malfoy nudge Ofelia. She looked up from the plate she had stolen from the obnoxious girl, who was shouting at her incoherently. Draco tried to speak, but he could not be heard over the twit.

His face contorted into pure anger and he growled, "_Pansy_," She shut her mouth and looked at him, already knowing what he planned to say. Ofelia continued to eat, laughing to herself. That girl was damn annoying.

"If you do not shut your mouth _this instant_, I will hex it so tightly shut, even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to fix it." The girl- Pansy- cringed and whined, "But Drakie, this _creaton_ shoved me away from you, my sweet!"

"Pansy. Be. Quiet." Draco hissed.

Ofelia grinned through her mouthful of food, looking at Pansy. The girl quieted and pouted, looking in the other direction.

"So, Ofelia." Draco said after she had swallowed. "What are you doing at the opposing house's table?" He looked amused.

"Call me Lia."

He laughed. It was loud and sharp, but it sounded real and it made her smile.

"You never seem to answer questions when they're asked." He said, a small grin still playing at his lips.

"What was the question?"

"Why are you here instead of your house table?"

"Oh. Ya know, just chillin'. Besides, I could tell you were miserable. Can't leave a pal hangin'."

Draco laughed again, amused by her lingo, and nodded. "Sitting with you was a good choice. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends."

Lia smiled and held up a hand for a high five.

He obliged. "Well, I'm going to head up to the common room. Care to join?"

"Sure, why not?" The two stood up, and she grabbed an apple before following.

When Pansy and the two idiots stood to follow as well, Ofelia looked at Draco, laughing to her self, and asked, "Who are these people? Your evil minions?" He glanced back, rolling his eyes. "Pretty much. I'd rather not consider them my friends. But, alas, they're all I've got."

"Psh!" Lia scoffed. "You've got me now. And I must admit, I'm way cooler then the three of them combined."

He laughed, once again it was loud and sharp, and once again it made her want to smile. This time, however, she concealed her smile. She felt it unnecessary to show him too much admiration.

She watched him as he walked. He was tall and proud, and stared ahead with a determined look. Lia changed her mind and smiled anyway. She was glad she'd met Draco, even if Harry, Ron and Hermione thought he was a jerk.

* * *

><p>Draco watched Ofelia as she stood to throw out the remains of her apple. She moved gracefully, more gracefully than he'd ever seen anyone move. As she passed Pansy, the prat stuck her foot out in an attempt to trip her. It worked and Lia fell face first towards the floor. Draco stood, whipping out his wand, ready to curse pansy, but when he looked at Ofelia she was standing.<p>

"What the…?" He looked at Pansy, who was confused as well, then looked back at Ofelia again. "Did you even hit the floor?"

She shrugged. "My dad, he, uh… taught me some self defense. It's called a front roll idiot." Ofelia looked at Pansy, her face blank. "Pansy, you little twat. If you touch me again I will break your hand."

"You wouldn't dare!" Pansy exclaimed defiantly, standing to shove her.

Just before Pansy's hand made contact with Ofelia's shoulder, Lia snatched it- quick as lightning- and effortlessly twisted it into a painful contortion, causing Pansy to fall to her knees. "Please, Pansy. I'm not in the mood for this."

Once again Draco's laugh split the air, causing Ofelia to look up at him, letting go of Pansy's hand. She whimpered and sat in her seat, sulking and embarrassed. Draco's laugh continued to boom, causing a grin to crack across Lia's face.

"Well, I guess you'd better listen next time, eh?" He said to pansy. Tears filled the girl's eyes, but he didn't feel sorry for her. He was tired of her acting like she owned him. He didn't need someone fawning over him 24/7, even if he did like attention.

He looked at Ofelia. Her eyes threatened to engulf him again, so he did his best to observe her other facial features. Surprisingly, he hadn't noticed the powerful beauty about her. Her cheekbones were high and her nose and jaw line were sharp and defined. Her mouth was small, but her lips were plump. She stood straight and had a noble air around her that he hadn't noticed when he spoke to her on the train. Now he understood why Pansy was acting more obnoxious than usual. She was jealous! And with good reason too. Draco felt his face heat up at the thought, and he turned away from Ofelia, trying to conceal it. If her hair were blond, he'd have suspected her to have some Veela blood.

After his face cooled down, he turned back around and saw Lia was no longer there. He glanced around the room and saw her squatting in front of the fire; poking at it and watching the sparks fly with interest. He wanted to ask her if she needed help finding her classes tomorrow, but, despite his fondness for his new friend, his up-brining told him to let her fend for herself. It was not like the Malfoys to help others when it did not benefit themselves.

Finally he decided he could at least find out what classes she'd be taking. "Hey. Lia." He said walking over to her. She glanced up at him, the firelight reflecting in her eyes. Draco's stomach lurched uncomfortably at the sight and he cursed himself for allowing such silly feelings.

"_Yeah?_" She said waving her hand back and forth in front of his face as she stood.

Draco blinked rapidly. "Uh, I was wondering what classes you had tomorrow."

Ofelia thought for a moment.

"Hmm… Tomorrow I have… Advanced Transfiguration, Apparition and Potions."

He smiled, finding he shared two classes with the girl tomorrow.

"Interesting." He said, forcing himself to stay nonchalant. " I'm in Potions and Apparition as well."

Ofelia smiled, showing bright white teeth, and said, "Awesome! You'll have to show me how to get to them. Can you meet me after Advanced Transfiguration?"

Draco stared at her, attempting to resist the urge to say yes, trying with all his might. His father wouldn't have said yes. "W-well…" He stuttered. His father never even helped his mother with anything. Draco scowled to himself, angry for comparing himself with his father.

"Uh, hello." Lia said, slightly offended.

Draco looked up at her, and she noticed a bit of apprehension in his eyes.

"Well…" She said slowly. "You don't have to." His back went rigid. He'd been about to agree, but at those words, his Malfoy instincts kicked back in. She watched him for a moment as a look of guilt spread through his face. It quickly disappeared, covered by indifference. She scowled and continued, "I'd better get going then. I need to unpack and stuff."

Draco gave a sharp nod, then marched up the stairs to the boys dormitory.

"Idiot." Pansy sneered from her seat in the chair. Lia looked down at her, fire burning in her eyes. Pansy flinched, but continued. "You don't ask a Malfoy to do something for you. They only do things for themselves."

"Whatever, pig face." Ofelia mumbled, marching out of the room.


	3. III

Draco flung himself on his bed, slamming his face angrily into his pillow. He laid there for a good ten minutes, feeling anger pulsate through every vein. He was an idiot and he knew it. He should have said yes immediately. There was no real reason he couldn't have. He _wanted_ to help Ofelia. She was… He paused in his thinking and turned his face from his pillow to stare out the window. Yeah. She was his friend. Not the kind of friends Crabb and Goyle were. They weren't friends. They were lackeys. And Pansy… Draco scoffed. If anything, she was a stalker. He sighed and sat up.

"Right," he mumbled, now determined to mend things immediately. He rushed to the bathroom and slicked back his hair like it normally would have been styled, had he not been late for the train that morning. Then he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Checking to make sure his cloths were not wrinkled, he adjusted his tie and began the assent for the 7th floor. After nearly running up all seven flights and all the way down to the east wing, he pounded on the painting of the fat woman (who screeched like a banshee) until someone flung it open. Draco composed himself and demanded the first year that had answered, to go find Ofelia Adelle. The small girl nodded, terrified, and rushed off, leaving the entrance open. Draco sat on the steps waiting for Ofelia, hoping he hadn't decided too late about coming.

"Eh-hem," he heard someone cough from behind him. He vaulted upright and turned around. "Ofelia," He breathed, relief flooding through him. The two stared at each other for a solid minute, until she broke the silence.

"I thought I told you to call me Lia."

Draco grinned. "Lia…" He said.

"_Yeah_?" She said mockingly, looking at him like he was dumb.

The insult just made Draco all the more elated. Her attitude made him even more sure he needed to be her friend. The thought helped him with what he'd been preparing to do entire run up. Apologize. It was not like his family to ever apologize, but this…

"I'm sorry." He blurted, immediately gathering himself back up. "What I mean is, I'd like to show you where _all_ your classes are. If you'll meet me outside the dining hall after breakfast, I can take you to the first one."

Ofelia eyed him, clearly still dejected. "I don't know, _Malfoy_." She said slowly.

He raised an eyebrow at the use of his last name. So he was wrong. He _had_ waited too long. "Oh." He said simply. He glanced down at his shoes, keeping his face blank, and mentally punishing himself for his rashness and nievety. He turned to leave.

"Jeez!" Ofelia exclaimed. "You'd give up on me that easily? I wasn't actually that mad." Draco stopped unsure of what to do now. She was making him look weak. He turned to her, with his nose stuck in the air. "Malfoys never give up." He stated.

"Hmph. You need to come get me from the Gryffindor table when you're done with your breakfast." She demanded.

Draco watched her stare at him. Despite her blank face he knew she was testing him.

"Really?" he said, dreading the idea of looking like some _escort _in front of Potter and the rest of the table.

"Yes." She was assertive. Draco weighed the options, deciding whether to argue and risk losing his friend, or to simply agree, and look like an idiot. Then again… Maybe escorting her away from the Gryffindor was a good thing. Despite her strange choice in hairstyles, she was obviously the most attractive girl in this school. And it'd show Potter and his stupid friends that she'd chosen him over them. He smiled, as he thought about how that'd already been proven once when she left them to sit with him. "Right," He said. A sly smile slid across his face. "Okay. I'll do it."

He noticed Lia scowling. "And the reason it took you so long to answer is…?"

"Oh, uh… Well-" She shoved him lightly, but her strength surprised him. The force of it caused him to have to take a few steps back before regaining his balance.

"Draco Malfoy," She said slowly. "If you plan to be my friend, I'd better be able to trust you." Ofelia stared into his razor-sharp eyes, afraid she was pushing it. She liked Draco, but his attitude, despite it being what she liked him for, made her nervous. Not being able to trust him would be reason enough for her to not be his friend.

He scowled back. "Of _course_ you can trust me! I just find it's best to think things through before diving into a situation! You _must_ know how your table feels about me. Walking up to them is suicide… In fact, I can't believe I even came to your common room!"

Ofelia shrugged. He had a point. "Well… Thank you then." She grumbled, holding out her hand. Draco looked at it confused.

"I'm offering a hand shake." She said rolling her eyes. "I'm not a fan of being touchy feely, so hugs are out of the question."

Draco laughed that laugh that made Lia's heartbeat quicken and a natural smile appear. He took her hand and neither shook for a moment. It felt like high voltage electricity passed between their skin, and a weird flutter filled Ofelia's stomach. She quickly shook his hand and let go, heat rushing to her face and ears. "Well, goodnight then." She said quickly, running up the steps and closing the door behind her.

"That was uncomfortable." She muttered to herself, still feeling the heat on her cheeks and ears. She didn't know what to make of the conversation she'd just had. Draco clearly had to think about getting her from the Gryffindor table, and in all honesty she'd expected him to decline. But he didn't, and after what Pansy said…

Ofelia plopped on the common room couch and stared into the fireplace. She tried to think of ways that the situation would benefit him, and after about five minutes it came to her. "That _jerk_!" She shouted bolting up out of her set. She knew what he was doing! He was using her to make himself look better than Harry and the others! Ofelia ignored the inquiries from Hermione and the stares from everyone else, and stomped out of the room.

At first she had planned to confront Draco, to go down to his common room and demand to speak with him. And then, once he showed his stupid handsome face, she planned to punch him, and hopefully break his nose. "Not cool…" She growled to herself, feeling manipulated. She knew he couldn't be trusted. She tried to deny it, but there was the first clue staring her right in the face.

Instead of walking to the Slytherin common room she wandered off, looking for a good place to relax. She walked and walked, but then started to get nervous, realizing she didn't know where she was. She opened the door to an empty classroom and checked the clock. Cursing herself, she closed it and realized it was after nine, which meant it was after curfew. She began to try and retrace her steps.

"Excuse me!" A voice screeched from behind her. Lia turned to find Pansy standing, arms crossed. She sighed and, having been informed on Perfects by the headmaster, realized that Pansy was just that. "You're out after curfew Adelle!" Pansy giggled. "Ten house points and a detention!" Ofelia rolled her eyes and, thanks to her pride, walked away without asking how to get to the Gryffindor common room. She thought back to how she found it the first time (by following other Gryffindor, of course) and remembered it was on the Seventh floor. Sighing, she set out to find some stairs.


	4. IIII

Draco stood from his seat in the dining hall and began to walk over to the Gryffindor table, excitement coursing through his body. He'd forgotten all about proving anything to Potter, and was ecstatic that he had the chance to prove something to Ofelia. He spotted her in the middle of the table and approached from behind, tapping her shoulder lightly. She didn't respond, and he felt a little bit of embarrassment creep into his thoughts. "Lia, do you need help finding your first class?" He asked, tapping her shoulder again. He noticed Potter and his pals watching and anger began to creep into his mind as well. "_Ofelia_." He said rather forcefully.

She looked up at him, her face blank. "Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'. Jeesh." She stood, slinging a beat up, green messenger bag over her shoulder. Draco stepped out of her way so she could get off the bench, and the two left the dining hall side by side.

Draco watched her for a moment as they walked towards the stairs. Her face was still blank, and she stared straight ahead. Her elegant walk was quick, and he found he was having a bit of trouble keeping up.

"What was that all about." He said to her, not actually asking, just pointing out that he was somewhat troubled with the treatment he had received.

Ofelia gave him a sharp glare from the corner of her eye, and then looked back ahead. "I know why you agreed." She said coldly.

Draco was confused at first. "What?"

"Don't play stupid!" She retorted, sharp as a razor. "You're not going to be using me to prove something to Harry and them!"

Realization appeared on his face and Ofelia stopped dead in her tracks, causing Draco to over run a bit, and have to turn around. She balled up her fist and prepared to sock him in the eye. "Wait!" he cried, but it was too late. She'd already made up her mind about what was necessary, and swung with so much speed her hand wasn't even visible.

Pain shot like a bullet through his entire head when contact was made.

To her dismay, she'd missed his eye and hit his cheek.

"BLOODY HELL!" Draco screeched, losing his usual composure. He raised his fist ready to swing back, but the look on Ofelia's face made him freeze in mid throw. Her face was contorted with pure hurt and anger. However, these emotions disappeared in an instant and were replaced by and apathetic mask. "I'm not okay with being _used_, Draco." She hissed. Her face was blank, but the utter rage and coldness that emanated from her voice made the scene entirely frightening, and inside Draco was shaking in his boots. He dropped his fist.

"You weren't being _used_." He spat.

"Don't lie to me!" Ofelia shouted.

Draco stared at her for a moment, unsure of whether or not to admit to his original motivations for agreeing to meet her at her house table. "You knew I didn't want to go to your table." He said quietly. Accusingly. He feared another swing.

"Well you should have told me that! You should have tried to compromise!" She paused and looked away. "You shouldn't have had to dig and find a way for it to suit you. You could have said no."

"Oh, _please_." Draco retorted, offended. "If I'd said no you would have been just as mad at me as the first time I told you no!"

"You are so _stupid_." Ofelia snapped. "I was offended the first time because you _didn't_ just tell me no! You stared at me like a damn idiot and then walked off like a jerk! Without saying a word!"

Draco stared at her like a damn idiot again. "W-well… I mean…" He stuttered, unsure of what to say and distracted by his throbbing face. He scowled. "Fine. I'm _sorry_, okay?" He was utterly unhappy with having to apologize twice in two days, but felt he needed her as an ally not an enemy. And besides the fact that an angry Ofelia was horrifying, he actually felt _bad_ about hurting her feelings. That was a first.

She stood in silence for a moment, looking in the opposite direction of Draco. "Yeah. Good… And… I obviously over-reacted. So… I'm sorry about punching you in the face and whatever. Just don't do stuff like that!"

"Well I didn't intend to hurt you by it." Draco muttered, beginning to walk again, glad they'd left for classes early. He nudged her shoulder with a fist and said, "Come on, don't wanna be late."

Ofelia looked at him, uncomfortable, and followed. "Ya know," she said. "You're a bit of a sneak." Draco laughed, looking at her. She smiled.

"Yeah?" He replied. "And you can really pack a punch for being the size of a first year."

She shrugged. "Gotta do what ya gotta do. You should remember that next time."

Draco looked down at her, his eyes softening. He realized his ooey-gooey look and snapped out of it, looking away. "Well don't worry." He said. "It will not happen again. Promise."

* * *

><p>Draco sat on his bed, kicking off his shoes. It was late; he barley made it back before curfew. He'd spent the day showing Ofelia around the inside of the school after classes. He was amazed when he found that in both Potions and Apparition she excelled. And he liked her all the more when he discovered that, despite her knowing every answer, she wasn't obnoxious about it like that mudblood, Granger.<p>

He sighed leaning back on his pillow, completely exhausted. He struggled to stay awake as he tried to remember the classes he had tomorrow.

Suddenly he was hit with a ball of fear and his eyes snapped back open. He felt it growing in his stomach till he thought he would burst. The Room of Requirement. He'd forgotten all about it. He gasped sitting up. He wrenched on his shoes and quickly snuck off.


End file.
